Revelations
by RayOfTheDawn
Summary: Red has some very interesting revelations late one night. Lizzie has revelations of her own. Lizzington. Rating will change to M
1. Chapter 1

**_Hello there, just decided to drop this off and go about my day. It actually fills a prompt that I saw On Red Lizzy's Tumbler page so tell me what you think. Be nice and flamers may go drown…_**

**I own nothing if I did there would be no Tom and Lizzy would have pulled a Clarice by now.**

His latest endeavors had brought him to Mumbai. He was currently situated in his client's apartment located at a High Rise Building… Well… _His _High Rise Apartment _NOW_… Payment for a job well done, although the Shreepati Arcade was a glorious complex standing 500ft above ground, the only thing he objected to was its firm "All Residence Must be Vegetarians" policy. He sat quietly staring at the giant scene before him...

Dembe had retired for the night and Red was left staring down at the hustle and bustle of the tiny people below him from his perch on the 43rd floor. After some time had passed, Red decided that it was time to view the surveillance footage that Mr. Kaplan had retrieved from the computer that belonged to the men who had been watching Lizzy… _his _Lizzy. Loosening his 100% silk woven sage green Herringbone solid tie, and opening his light gray vest and unbuttoning his pristine white shirt, he poured himself a generous amount of an exceptionally well-rounded 16 year old single malt Glen Moray, and sat in the center of the black curved leather couch that was situated in front of the 103" television.

It was clear that Tom had no idea he was being watched. What remained to be seen was whether or not he was being watched by whomever he worked for, or if there were a third unknown party involved. Either way, Red wasn't very happy about any of it. He watched the footage with some mild interest, occasionally barking a humorless laugh at Tom's attempt at normalcy.

_Honestly Lizzy if you weren't so in love with the snake you would be able to see right through his act._

It was only when Lizzy joined Tom in the shower did his posture change. His breath became slightly more labored and his trousers tightened. He was no longer a casual observer, but attentive. The first thing that he noticed was that Lizzy was always the first one to initiate any form of intimacy. The second thing he noticed was that unknowingly, Lizzy's posture during the whole ordeal was…robotic. It reminded him of a scientific experiment on _How to perform_ _Coitus._ The more he observed their dealings, for lack of a better word, the more he was convinced that one: Tom was in fact an inefficient lover, and it wasn't wishful thinking. Two: _His dear Lizzy _had the makings to be a very sensual and infinitely more fluid lover, and three: Elizabeth Scott Keen had no idea what it was to have a man make l_ove _to her. He smiled wickedly as he drank some of his scotch.

_Ah my dear, I'm looking forward to your seduction. The endgame will be ever so sweet for the both of us, but first we must get rid of our dear loving Tom._

He finished his drink and decided to call it a night. _Better not to start something._ Not only did he have an early morning and a long trip back to the States, he really didn't feel like resorting to paid company at the moment, and truth be told he was well aware that his huger could only be satisfied by hearing Lizzy's pleading mews and breathless begs.

_I always have enjoyed delayed gratification._


	2. Chapter 2

**_Hello there. Be nice and flamers may go drown AND GOD BLESS MY BL BETA…_**

**I own nothing if I did there would be no Tom and Lizzy would have pulled a Clarice by now.**

_It was dark and damp. Her ankle length robe does nothing to ward off the cold. She can hear her footsteps echo throughout the space. She stops momentarily and begins rubbing her arms to try to generate some heat. She knows this… she knows what's going on. It always starts this way, but try as she might she can never change the outcome, or stop it for that matter. She feels the tears fall down her face. She can't handle this, not tonight. Not again._

_She feels his approach before he touches her, then hugs her from behind. Circling her with his warmth just like he did a few nights ago. She feels his lips on the nape of her neck and instantly feels her body relax into his. He picks her up and carries her somewhere. When she opens her eyes they're laying in a variety of plush continental pillows, like the ones you would fine in an Arabic tent in a far off exotic place. The scenario is always different. She smiles in spite of herself, trust Red to be this…odd. He would be wouldn't he? He just holds her in his warm embrace, content to hum some unknown lullaby in her ear. His hand caressing her sides gently, soothing her; their legs intertwining. She relishes the feel of the silken satin on her skin. Red starts to pepper kisses on her neck and shoulder, hugging her tighter._

_"You must know that I'll never be done with you Lizzie. I'll give the time you need to work through all this, but I'll never let you go…"_

Lizzie opened her eyes with a start, then didn't try to stop the tears that began to roll down her face.

* * *

The first time it happened was after she had first met him. She had dozed off in the waiting room of the hospital.

The second and third time it happened, was after the Wujing and Stewmaker fiascos; then every other night after Anslo Garrick's attack while Red was off the grid. It had stopped about a week after he came back.

She had actually managed to convince herself that it was over, until she had to go under cover as a thief at the Syrian embassy, then it had come back with a vengeance. It had become progressively worse from there, until reaching its peak when she discovered Tom's betrayal; or so she thought, in retrospect, it did help when it came to their second honeymoon night, but no, like all things in her life these days it did in fact get worse…

At first she was too shocked to think about it, affronted even, but later that night she had trouble falling asleep thanks to the simple fact that Raymond "Red" Reddington had seen the surveillance footage. That night had been the worst, her dreams were becoming more and more explicit, and there was nothing she could do to stop them.

* * *

She cried herself to sleep and woke up soon after on Ressler's couch. She had had nowhere else to go. She cried for her father, she cried for her life that was a lie, she cried for ever knowing Red. Most of all she cried because she knew he was a monster, knew that he had killed her father, but she still dreamed of him, and she still longed for his touch; at least this dream had been tamer in comparison to the others.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Hello there. Be nice and flamers may go drown AND GOD BLESS MY BL BETA…_**

**I own nothing if I did there would be no Tom and Lizzy would have pulled a Clarice by now.**

**I also would like to inform you that the next chapter will be RATED M, so if you wish to keep reading this story you'll ether have to follow it or adjust you rating setting accordingly. Thank you for your attention.**

* * *

"Tapomay Raval must be one of the most fascinating men I have ever come across in all my dealings over on my side of the fence," Red unceremoniously started one morning as he walked in the Post Office.

One of the first things Lizzie had come to realize was that no matter what Berlin wanted, he was only interested in Red, and had no intention of exploiting the fact that Red was working with the FBI. The second thing Lizzie realized was that whatever her and Red we're going to do, it had to be with the assistance of the Bureau. So against their better judgment they went back. She was informed by Cooper that the Director of the FBI promised that if they were willing to come back, everything would go back to "normal". When she passed this information to Red, he just gave one of his characteristic chuckles and kept on eating dinner. That had been two months ago. Ressler had wanted to put a security detail on Liz, but Red had said that it wasn't necessary and that due to the recent slip-ups on their part he felt much better taking care of that matter personally. The team he had assembled for Liz had been "upgraded" to six extra teammates; all very loyal to him and all extremely violent if need be. The new members were the same that had aided Lizzie in her search for him during the Anslo Garrick ordeal. They had been impressed by her single-minded obsession to find Red; so had Mr. Kaplan.

"… His name literally means 'King full of morale'…? Red stopped momentarily to bark out a laugh and then continued, "which considering his line of business is most ironic."

"His line of business?" Asked Ressler, then looked to Aram, who immediately started running all sorts of checks on the name supplied by Red.

"Hmm… Business. He has a private club in Nevada. It's a rather large hole in the ground, quite literally. Some fifteen years back he bought a piece of land on the mountain range and decided build a mine type club. On the outside it looks just like you're average holiday getaway, but I think you'll find that the people renting his cabins are not innocent clients. It's the entry in his office and Tool shed that's interesting. He has built an entire network below ground."

"I still haven't heard anything illegal," Ressler started.

"Patience Donald, I was just getting to the fun part." Red turned back to Liz and continued, "He's a broker like me if you will, but unlike me this man has no moral code; hence me finding him and his name in particular, quite fascinating. He auctions off whatever it is he has to sell. Not only that, but he insists that all interested parties be present, or at the very least have a representative there."

"And you say this has been going on for at least fifteen years?" Asked Cooper who had silently joined the makeshift meeting. "Ah Cooper so nice to see you standing again," greeted Red jovially. "More like twelve. It took him two years and thirty construction teams from all around the world to build _The Haven_. It was built in parts, and whenever one team finished with their part of construction they were eliminated. Tapomay is the only one who knows the actual size and architecture of his so called club. But that's not the worst part, Tapomay isn't stupid, even though he conducts his auctions carelessly. After he receives the money he does a thorough background check on who won the round, not only that, but the merchandise isn't anywhere near his club. He has it stored somewhere else."

"How does he keep his clients happy then?" Asked Liz, knowing that there was much more to the story. Red wouldn't drop his quest to find Berlin unless he had something more valuable to gain from this little field trip. "And what stops the other unhappy customers from acting out?" She added as an afterthought.

"Well I'm glad someone was paying attention. He has a house rule. Everyone is to remain in house for however long the transaction takes. To ensure everybody behaves themselves, he offers entertainment in true Las Vegas style. He also auctions off Men and women to entertain the lucky winner. Some of them are professionals, most aren't. Whatever the clients want, he has." Red finished pointedly.

"Jesus… even minors?" Aram asked horrified.

"As young as fourteen. It's not clear where he gets them, but I doubt he does his shopping in Nevada."

"What happens to them?" Asked Lizzie.

"Depends… if the customer was satisfied they can take their goods with them, if not they're either disposed of or put to work in the club. I've never needed to procure his talents before, but it has been brought to my attention that one of Tapomay's suppliers has worked with and knows Berlin. I'm not particularly interested in what he is selling, but I do want that name, and the only way I can get it is if I show that I am willing to pay. Nasty business, but there you have it."

"Very well, get the team ready, draw up a plan, and let's do this. The sooner we get to Berlin the faster we get our lives back," Cooper said as he stood up and went to his office.

Because of Berlins attack, the task force's lives have been in upheaval. Coopers family had been placed under protective custody, and the man had taken to practically living at the black site. Aram and Ressler now lived together in a safe house. They moved every other week, and Lizzie lived wherever Red lived. Meera's children were flown to Montana to their uncle's house under the impression that mommy had died in a car crash. Their Uncle, Niraj, was the only one in Meera's family that knew she worked for the C.I.A; so not only was he the only logical choice, he was the only that knew part of the truth. The rest of the task force members were in similar conditions. It wasn't ideal, but it was all they could at the moment.

As Ressler got to work, Lizzie stood and joined Red near the screens. "So, where do I fit in?" She asked, a little bored as she imagined herself undercover cover as an asset or a dangerous lover; they'd been there, done that.

"As a chamber maid," Red said with finality.

"Excuse me? A what?" Was Lizzie's indignant response. This attracted Ressler's attention, and he started to walk toward the two of them.

"You are going to be the chamber maid." Red repeated. He knew that there was going to be an argument over this, so he decided to cut to the chase and give a logical but ruthless blow."As much as I enjoy your company Lizzie, Meera is dead, and she was the only other field agent who could do this job. So until Cooper vets a Female agent to replace her, you're going to have to take a less glamorous role on our little incursions. As the chamber maid you'll have access to the doors and be able to let your fellow agents in," Red finished with a tight smile.

Lizzie, for her part, was left speechless. Everything that Red had said was not only true, but made sense.

"There. So now we have a way in," said Ressler "Mind coming with me so that we can get all the details ironed out?" He said as he turned to Liz. She just nodded and followed him to the table where the other agents were.

Red turned back to the screen and stared at Tapomay's image with a small, wicked smile.

It had been two months since the Berlin fiasco. Seeing Lizzie get out of the taxi had made his heart ache. All he wanted to do was take in his arms and never let go, but it was still too soon. She had just shot her husband earlier that day. So he waited. He wondered what Lizzie would say if she knew what went through his mind while she was safely tucked in her bed in the next room. Maybe he would tell her soon. He had witnessed a glimpse of forgiveness that day while they were in the car waiting to hear about the decoy. He also saw a glimpse of something deeper than care as he knelt and surrendered to her. Because that's what he had done; he had surrendered to _her, _HIS Lizzie, and not the FBI.

During the last two months he had slowly inched his way closer to her. He could now invade her personal space without her noticing. He had also very subtly caressed her a certain way, and gauged her reactions. He wasn't left disappointed. His little experiments had left a heated effect on her. He would always pull away and carry on as if nothing had occurred, but it had the desired effect. Not only did he now know that his sweet, and to some degree, innocent Lizzie was drawn to him, he had also subtly made her aware of that fact as well.

Yes, two months had been more than enough for any sense of misguided propriety to take affect. Lizzie's awakening would start to take place as soon as this whole affair with Tapomay was done. He refused to live on fantasies any longer than necessary, and time was too short to wait for the next day. He fully intended to fall off the face of earth when Berlin and his Adversary were done for; and he was taking Lizzie with him.

"Well I'll just leave all this to your capable hands. Give me a call when you're all ready. I have a trip to plan." Red said as he left the war room. He felt Lizzie's eye's on him the entire time, but he resisted the urge to turn and look.

_Step One: Throw Lizzie a curve ball. Done. _Red thought to himself as he smiled more openly with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

* * *

Of course nothing ever seems to go according to plan.

The first thing Red noticed when they arrived at the resort was that Tapomay Raval was not Tapomay Raval, but Wajeeh Raval, his younger cousin. _What is it with this family's names and their business?_ Wajeeh, meaning 'Noble', was anything but. He managed to be even more revolting than Tapomay, in Red's opinion, but as long as he got what he came for it didn't matter to him.

"If it isn't Raymond "Red" Reddington, the Concierge of Crime. To what do I owe this unusual pleasure?" Asked Wajeeh, with cynical politeness.

"My dear Wajeeh, whatever happened to your cousin, Tapomay?" Red deflected with a razor thin smile of his own.

"Ah yes! It was a terrible tragedy. He drowned while scuba diving in Jamaica." The Indian man explained. Red didn't believe him for a second.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. We had reached an agreement, and as his apparent Heir, I wonder if he told you anything about it," Red started, quickly adjusting his story. This would actually make things infinitely easier. He knew for a fact that Tapomay had been alive and well the previous week, and he doubted that his twenty-something replacement, although more malicious, would be able to outsmart him.

Red played with the boy's ambition.

"No, his death was rather sudden, an unexpected tragedy. But, whatever it was that you two had agreed about, I'm sure that with a few minor adjustment _we_ could reach an agreement as well." Wajeeh smiled much more pleasantly. He knew that going in to business with Red would put him amongst the highest ranks of the shady world.

Red smiled pleasantly. His strategy had worked, like he knew it would.

"You have something for sale, but I am much more interested in one of your suppliers. I was to buy his name privately from your cousin. Can that still be arranged?" Red asked cordially.

"Tell you what, I'm an equal opportunist. Although I'm known by my reputation, I must also show to all of my guests that I mean business. Why don't you stay for tonight's auction and bid on one of the three items that I have to offer. If you end up winning the highest bid on one of them, then I'll give you this name you want as a bonus. You and my cousin may have gone way back, but I'm young and new to this. I can't be known to play favorites, nor be known to be in Reddington's pocket. I hope you understand." The younger man said with a slimy smile.

"I find those terms to be agreeable and quite reasonable," Red answered with his razor smile back in place. _You slimy brat. You don't even know what's coming your way._ "I can hardly wait to see what it is you have to offer."

"One of the items up for bid, as you know, are Guided missiles and their respective launchers; the other two are a surprise," Wajeeh informed him.

After Three hours of shows, food, and drink, the Auction began. Not caring about the missiles and their launchers, Red only half half-heartedly bid on them, banking on one of the surprise items of the list. If the brat was playing the mystery surprise card so diligently, chances were that the items were much more expensive. It took all of thirty minutes to be sold to some West African general. After a small break for cigars and pleasant conversation, Wajeeh climbed the stage once more and started his exposition.

"Well, as promised, there will be two more auctions tonight. But these _items..._" The way Wajeeh said the word, and the smile on his face sent a chill down Red's spine. "… are more for the entertainment part of our evening. We have two new girls… well… one girl, the other is a woman, but what a woman."

_Lizzie!_ Red thought to himself. He had a bad feeling about this as he turned to Dembe and looked at him. His bodyguard was on alert as well.

"First I will introduce you to Miss Savanna York, from New York, how about that, bring her in. She's here on a scholarship from England, and wanted to be on Broadway. Perhaps she will dance for our happy winner, no?" As he said this, two men dragged a terrified looking girl of about nineteen in. She had beautiful grey eyes that gave her an exotic look due to her mocha-colored skin. "And secondly, Samantha Callahan from Montana."

_LIZZIE! _Red felt his blood run cold. How did this happen… _how did this happen… It happened because Wajeeh is trying to make a name for himself, and because Lizzie's cover story is of a recently orphaned woman who went through a bad divorce and moved to start a new life. SOMEONE THAT NO ONE WOULD COME LOOKING FOR. _Red cursed Ressler's stupidity.

He turned to Dembe and whispered, "You bid for the other girl, whatever it takes, if we leave this girl behind Lizzie will never forgive us." The taller man nodded once in understanding. When Red looked back up again, he spotted Lizzie silently trembling, desperately looking for him without being obvious about it.

"…and now that you have seen both _items," _Weejah continued, "I'll be sending them out back so that they can be properly prepared and clothed for your enjoyment." Both woman weren't going to see who had bought them.

It was at this point that a deviously naughty idea crept in to Red's head: Why wait for tomorrow, when you can do it today?Lizzie's awakening was going to start this very night. Red smiled mischievously with a heated gaze as he watched Lizzie's retreating form.


	4. Chapter 4

SORRY TO YOU ALL THIS ISN'T A NEW CHAPTER. THIS IS ON THE OTHER HAND A CRY OF INDIGNATION...

When some one finds the need to log off their account and review their own story's as a guest, it's just sad... really... it is... I know that there is at least ONE who does this in THIS community and I DO HAVE PROOF... (YOU WERE CARELESS SWEET HEART.) What else I find to be sad is that dew to other unrelated or related (I'll believe just about any thing right now) A very good friend of mine And pretty good author in my opinion jadenanne7 has just gotten a Story of her's the most recent one I might add deleted dew to explicit content... She's written worse... I've read worse on this site... I've read worse in this community... And if any of you have read my other fic for the Hannibal Fandom you know I've WRITTEN worse... so... Yes... I see what you're doing... And I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE... Have some dignity... And kindly stand down.

I might also be reported for this... And Who knows.. I might be Kicked of ... I'm Sorry for this... But I will not stand in silence... I CAN NOT, WILL NOT bare witness to this kind of conduct... And Do AND SAY NOTHING... THIS was brought to my attention. I NOW KNOW of this... And I will NOT STAND DOWN... I WILL NOT STAND AND DO AND SAY NOTHING... And I am sorry if you're all left hanging in the air... I do have another account on another site AO3... as Rayofdawn. If I am banned from here... I will be there... Re posting ALL my work... Thank you for your time and once more I'm Sorry for all this unpleasantness... But then Petty Conduct and Unfairness usually is.


	5. Chapter 5: THE REAL CHAPTER 4

**_Hello there. Be nice and flamers may go drown AND GOD BLESS MY BL BETAS…_**

**I own nothing if I did there would be no Tom and Lizzy would have pulled a Clarice by now.**

**THIS CHAPTER IS RATED M. THERE ARE SCENES OF A SEXUAL NATURE IN THIS CHAPTER. **

**Lets just hope I don't get reported for it. Enjoy and you have been WARNED: RATED M**

* * *

FBI Agent Elizabeth Scott (for now) Keen, felt...Well... she wasn't sure how she felt. She was nervous, because she had no way of warning Ressler that something was wrong. She was unsettled because there was a woman with a gun pointed at her head saying that if she and Savanna didn't "play nice and get dressed" they would get shot up with something that would make them more obedient. She was terrified for the fate of the girl now getting ready beside her. Lizzie knew that Red was amongst the men in the lounge and that he would spare no expense to "Buy" her, but Savanna would no doubt end up at the mercy of one of the Barbarians in the other room. She also felt stupid; she should have known that something wasn't right when the person who interviewed her wasn't the man in the photos Aram had supplied them the day before. She should have known that something was terribly wrong when this new person's eye's shone with glee after hearing her sob story, and then hired her without a background check and references. No… that's not right… she knew there was something wrong; her intuition said that much, but after the loop Red had thrown her through the last time they saw each other she just figured that she was a bit off and ignored it.

When Lizzie saw what it was they had to wear her heart dropped. _Why did Ressler have to come up with a back story that belonged to someone so… Vanishable, _she thought sourly. She was going to have a small chat with Ressler when this was over, providing Red didn't get to him first.

Red… There was something up with Red. Over the last two months they had grown closer. At times she had thought that he was _stalking his prey_ and that she was the prey, but then it would disappear; she had chalked it up to wishful thinking. She still had _those_ dreams. She hoped with all that she had that Red wasn't her father. Every last inch of her being screamed that he wasn't, but still there was a tiny little voice that sounded just like Tom when he had taunted her tied up to their dining room chair: _"He's your Daddy and you're just a sick filthy little girl."_

Trembling with dread, she started getting _dressed_. To try to calm herself, and in the light of her present predicament, she decided to fully trust her instincts.

She knew for certain that Red had brushed her off in the post office. They had in fact gotten closer; he was in fact moving them in a direction that quite frankly left her frozen with panic and now looking at her reflection she was at the verge of hysteria. If her instincts were right, and she believed that they were, things were going to change. She started trembling again.

* * *

The auction was rapidly losing control. News of Savanna's virginity had sent the house to an uproar. Dembe turned toward Red and waited.

_I've had too many close calls to hope this will pass,_ Red thought to himself. Sam's death still loomed in the outskirts of their relationship. She still had not forgiven him; maybe she would never be able to, but she could come to accept it._ "You're a Monster." _He recalls that night with such clarity. _If I don't save this girl Lizzie won't let it go… and if for any reason knowledge of the girl's virginity comes to light all my hard work and all the progress I've made will vanish. Perhaps this might change the tide._ As soon as Red squinted his eyes, Dembe knew his boss, friend, brother had reached a conclusion. Red nodded once and said quietly to offer Wajeeh up to three hundred million for both girls; without another word Dembe sprung in to action.

Making his way to Wajeeh with a serious face, he managed to grab the young man's attention.

"Mr. Reddington would like to make you an offer you cannot refuse."

"Really? And what would that offer be?" Was the younger man's arrogant reply.

"Raymond has deep pockets as you know. He would like to offer the younger girl to me as a sign of gratitude for my loyalty. And since you seem to be having some difficulty with restraining your guests, he would like to offer the sum of one hundred million for both girls and give you a chance to save face."

Although Wajeeh still held himself with arrogance, he was beginning to get worried about the other guests. Even if none of them were armed, he knew that most could do a lot of damage with their bare hands. A fight had already broken out in between the Russians and the Arabs.

Nodding to Dembe, Wajeeh once more climbed the stage while the taller, darker man made his way back to the older gentlemen with a triumphant glint in his eye.

"Very well gentlemen, sold for the hefty price of one hundred million dollars to number seven hundred and twenty three," Wajeeh said to the crowd as if there had been no interruption to the bidding process.

"…as for the rest of you, well maybe if you had paid attention to the auction instead of corralling like housewives you might have had the pleasure of getting acquainted with one of the ladies." Taking advantage of the stunned silence that had taken hold of the room, he continued, "But since I am an accommodating host, and I am much more generous that my cousin ever was… girls please come in and mingle."

At this, several different women entered the underground show room. There had to be at least eighty of them in all sizes, types and ages. This seemed to defuse whatever tension was in the room; the returning Coors girls and skimpy waitresses also helped with the situation.

Seeing this, Red and Dembe stood up and left the show room and made their way toward Tapomay's old office.

"One hundred Million?" Was all Red inquired.

"The boy looked desperate, although he did try to cover it up with arrogance. We have been together many years now my brother, I have learned to see past many masks; I knew he would take whatever was offered to him," Dembe said with humor in his voice. To this Red only chuckled with approval. He had just saved two thirds of what he was willing to offer.

"Wajeeh, dear boy, congratulations on your auction, it was a resounding success; if I recall correctly, Tapomay's first auction ended up with a fire, six wounded and an extremely upset German." Although Red had not been there in person, he did know the German in question, and had heard the story enough times over a few glasses too many of only God knew what, to be able to recount it as if he had in fact been there as well.

"I was unaware that you had been here." Was Wajeeh's bewildered response.

Red only laughed and answered. "But of course I was." The lie came easy. "Only I wasn't well known back then. I only made a name for myself shortly after." He concluded with a fond expression.

Rapidly turning serious, Red got down to business.

"The name we discussed earlier. I want it."

"Yes of course, one of my suppliers. Do you have any information that I can work with?"

"The man I'm looking for is Serbian. He's in his late fifties early sixties, he has a Russian Special Ops Tattoo somewhere on his body, and he is known for working with a man only known by the name of Berlin. It's imperative that I have his name, and it is imperative that he doesn't get wind that I'm looking for him. Have I made myself clear? You do seem to be a very ambitious young man, but know that to betray me is to sign your own death warrant," Red concluded in all his imposing and intimidating might.

_He really could strike the fear of god in to people,_ Dembe thought absently.

"No, never. This will never come back to you, I know better than that. Why don't you two go have fun with your girls, and I'll have that name waiting for you when you're done. Oh and another thing, the cameras are still in place, so you might want to go to the Rec room and pick up your footage afterwards." Red and Dembe exchanged a look and then Red just smiled and turned to walk out. _This will complicate things for Dembe, but it'll definitely work in my favor."_ If Lizzie knew she was being watched, she wouldn't be able to lash out.

"Wajeeh, one more thing, Dembe likes to smoke before getting in to matters so to say, would it be too much to ask that he light up a cigarette?"

"Sorry , we have a very strict non-smoking rule here, but after graciously having untangled the mess in the show room, I could bend the rules a little and let him go outside for five minutes; as long as he doesn't mind the company of course."

"Of course. I'll go give him the happy news," Said Red as he joined Dembe outside the office.

"Once outside, discretely send the emergency code to Ressler, but be careful my friend. You'll have company. Here are my cigarettes; it's the best I could come up with," Red said quietly but hurriedly. The taller man nodded once and smiled slightly taking the pack out of his employer's hand. It wasn't the first time that he had uncontrollable urges to smoke, even if despised the things with all his might.

* * *

Lizzie was shoved unceremoniously in to a room. After taking in a breath, she opened her eyes and stood in the middle of a bedroom that screamed sex. Pure sensual sex. There was no mistaking what this room had been made for. One of the walls was entirely made up of one gigantic mirror. Staring at the dark colored wood on the floor, feeling the cold creeping up her body, her eyes wondered to the burgundy walls and cream colored ceiling. The wall had some sort of flowery panels on them, but what caught her attention was the bed. The king sized four poster bed stood on top of a platform the required two steps to get to. The steps and the platform were carpeted soft looking cream colored fur. The black lace curtain surrounding the bed just added to it sensual look. _Oh my God, please help me,_ Lizzie quietly pleaded as she let her head fall down. That's when she actually noticed that the lace robe she was wearing left little to the imagination, so she hurriedly untied the black silk sash that was wrapped around her waist and quickly wrapped it round her chest in order to make a makeshift bra of sorts, but before she could proceed any further she heard a husky voice say:

"Please, allow me to assist you with that."

* * *

Following the guard that was leading him to "his" room, Red thought about how he would approach Lizzie once he got there. If she were any other woman, he would be able to draw up a quick plan but alas, _his_ Lizzie wasn't any other woman. Her unpredictability was one of the many things that had drawn him to her. In the beginning, he had felt a certain annoyance toward his instant attraction toward her. He then had decided to fight it as best he could. His reticent behavior had done nothing to quell the ever growing feelings. He did try to be noble. He truly did. Over the months in which they worked together he drew his _leash_ tighter and tighter, until he saw her climbing out of that cab. That evening while he tended to his wound, he realized that no matter how noble he wanted to be, his desire was starting to roar. It took every ounce of his self control to not go to her room and take her right there and then. Eliminate once and for all whatever doubt she had about whether or not he was her father. That night his _leash_ nearly snapped. Luckily by morning he had drawn his "battle" plan regarding his sweet, inexperienced Lizzie. _I'll just enter the room silently and go from there, _he thought to himself smiling wickedly.

Thanking the guard, Red opened the door carefully so that he wouldn't disturb the young woman inside. The sight that greeted him made his blood race. With her back to him Lizzie hadn't seen Red open the door. In fact she didn't seem very aware of her surroundings while she fumbled with the sash around her delicate waist. Red leered at her long and hard taking in the delectable black high-heeled shoes begging to be left on while the wearer was left with nothing else on. His eyes crawled slowly up her long pale legs, well shaped calves, and finally settled on her firm, round buttocks fitted in to some very revealing sheer boy shorts with a lacy trim also in black. The black silk lace robe completed the sinful ensemble; together with the sash that Lizzie was now tying to her bosom. Red frowned at this. _No, no, no my dear Lizzie, there will be no hiding from me… Not anymore, _he thought savagely to himself.

"Please, allow me to assist you with that." He held her from behind and decided to tie the sash in a nice loose bow instead of confiscating it. He had plans for that sash later on, and besides right now he need Lizzie to be as calm as possible. Taking advantage of the intimate embrace, Red whispered in to her ear:

"I'm so sorry for this sweetheart, but there's no way around it. This room, and consequently every other room for that matter, are under surveillance. We are being watched." Lizzie nodded her head very slightly indicating she understood the situation. Putting his hand on her waist he started to slowly rub her hips as he continued in a hushed voice. To anyone watching he was whispering sweet nothings in to her ear.

"I also managed to send word to Ressler. I don't know how long we have to wait, so we have to make this as believable as possible." As Lizzie nodded, she again let slip a small whimper; Red's smile turned predatory. Still feeling her unsettled, his hands traveled upward to the underside of her breasts and back down to her hip bones repeatedly at a languid pace. He felt Lizzie's breath falter and start to become shallow. Turning her head towards his mouth she whispered brokenly, "What about the other girl?"

"Dembe has her," he whispered back, right before he stopped his ministrations and took a step back. "Now that I have calmed your nerves my dear, let me take a better look at you." Noting that she lost her balance slightly, and tried to recompose herself. _Oh sweetheart, I'm afraid you won't be able to regain your footing again. Not while we're here at least._ He looked at her with approval, feeling smug at her dilated pupils and the darkened blue of her eyes. He was about to say something when _his_ eyes caught something just below her left hipbone. _My, my, is that a Tattoo?_ He thought to himself as he raised an eyebrow and looked at Lizzie's face once more. She looked panicked, Red's only response was a knowing smile.

* * *

Lizzie froze in sheer horror. She hadn't noticed that Red had arrived. She stood stock still as Red tied the sash in a lazy bow. His voice had done things to her, things she was afraid to admit. _Oh my God, if his voice can leave me like this, what the hell will he do to me if he starts to touch me?_ She fervently thought to herself as she felt her nether regions moisten. When Red stared talking again in a hushed voice, Lizzie found it increasingly difficult at paying attention to what was being said. His voice, and now his hands were well on the way of leaving her out of her mind. The news that they were being watched cleared her mind somewhat, but the insistent caresses were fogging up her mind. Knowing that Ressler might take a while didn't help much either. _He knows what he's doing. He's too experienced not to know, the BASTARD, he's trying to make me disgrace myself, _she unwittingly whimpered. What Red did next nearly made her gasp, but she managed to regain some of her composure at the last minute as Savannah's terrified eyes flashed before mind. She felt relived knowing that Red had "acquired" her too. _Dembe is a good man, he'll manage to work something up._ To her embarrassment she stumbled when Red stepped back. _Shit, I hope he didn't notice._ One look at his face told her that he had. It was only when Red started circling her, did she remember her little secret.

During one of their many hunts for the weekly Blacklister, Lizzie had had a moment of rebellion. She had those from time to time, even when growing up. That haircut she got, the concert she went to, learning how to steal, Buying that shirt or dress that Tom hated. So when she saw the Tattoo parlor she had a moment of clarity. Red had hinted more than once that he knew everything about her. Well, this would be the one thing he would never find out. Saying that she was going to check a lead, and knowing Red couldn't follow her because of Ressler, Lizzie made her way to the parlor. Telling Ressler that by splitting up they could cover more ground, and saying that it was just a follow up, Lizzie had gained one whole hour and a half and had gotten a tattoo.

_Looks like Red is going to find out about it after all, s_he thought as she started to panic, praying that the boy shorts, albeit sheer, would provide some sort of protection in concealing the small Tattoo. Noting Red's intrigued expression as his eyes zeroed below her hip bone, made her lose all hope. _Shit, shit, shit, he saw it. _But what really got to her was the knowing smile and predatory glint in his eyes. _Ohh yeah, I'm in trouble all right._ _"So what if you are?"_ Asked that tiny voice that taunted her every time she awoke from one of _those_ dreams. _"It what you want, isn't it? What you DREAM about."_ She only managed to swallow thickly, frozen in place by Red's electric green eyes.

* * *

_"Ohh my sweet, sweet Lizzie... We'll have to explore that piece of artwork at a later date,"_ Red thought to himself as he took in Lizzie's unsettled appearance. _"The things I've dreamed of doing to you my dear..."_ Red broke the heated moment with one of his characteristic chuckles. "Samantha...what a lovely name...although I must say you don't look like a Samantha to me," he said, smiling brightly. "You, my dear, are a breathtakingly beautiful woman. I must say that I have travelled around the globe, and in all my years I've only encountered two women who have managed to steal my breath from me...until now." His face reflected pure admiration. Smiling once more, Red walked toward a small cabinet and opened it, revealing a mini bar. After fixing two drinks he walked up to Lizzie, who, for her part, was still rendered speechless. Red handed over one glass half-full of an amber liquid and said: "Drink up, my dear; it'll help with the uneasiness."

"Please, sir, you don't have to do this," Lizzie answered, playing the part of the victim to perfection. But, then again, Red suspected that her anxiety was real. _"Sweetheart, there is no escaping what is about to happen,"_ he thought. "Of course not...but... you see... I do WANT to. I normally do not engage in such activities. I do prefer my women

Willing, but, as I said... You. Are. Exquisite. I simply cannot help myself. But don't worry, I do not condone rape. Please drink up... I assure you that when the time comes... you will be quite willing."  
"You're very sure of yourself," Lizzie shot back, taking the drink into her hand. "What if I said I was gay?" Red laughed at this and circled her once more, closing in on her back without touching her. He whispered heatedly into her ear, "I'm quite certain that you're not." And then in a much deeper tone he ordered, "Drink up."

Red had always known the effect he had on women, ever since he was a young man. Taking advantage of his good looks and seductive voice, he, at the age of fifteen, had lost his virginity to his next door neighbor's mother, an outstanding redhead with voluptuous curves and honey brown eyes, he remembered fondly. Looking once more at Lizzie, Red decided that in this initial act of seduction, he would start by indulging -if only a little- in his more 'sexually deviant' nature. Seeing Lizzie finish her drink in one gulp he took the glass away from her and then walked towards the bed. Feeling her eyes on him he turned to her and said in a seductive manner, "Come here and take off my coat."  
"Excus... What?" was Lizzie's nervous reply.  
"I said...come here and take off my coat," he repeated, lifting his arms and waiting with the most predatory smile.

* * *

Lizzie's breath quickened, her nipples hardened, and the heat in her lower regions intensified. _"Damn it... Oh God, oh God, oh God... SHIT!"_ Was all her jumbled mind could come up with. His voice was doing things to her again. Looking downward and walking up to him she was startled by his voice once more. "Stop. Go back to where you were," he said firmly but gently. Back tracking to her spot, Lizzie looked up at Red with increasing tension.

"Good. Now come here and take off my coat... but slowly and without taking your eyes off mine. I want you to feel the moment," he said with the same dangerous smile as before. _"THE BASTARD! He has to know what he's doing... he has to... He's milking this for all it's worth."_ Although as soon as she thought of the milking reference her imagination ran away with her to one of her more... interesting...dreams.

Walking up to him in a measured pace, Lizzie looked straight into Red's eyes and could only glimpse at the roaring volcano hidden behind his mask. She had seen evidence of the heat through his very rare flares of temper and Lizzie had often wondered what he was like truly unhinged. As she reached him he put his hands on her shoulders and slowly caressed down her arms and held on to her hands. Taking control of them, he then lay her hands at the very bottom of his abdomen and proceeded to very slowly bring them up, forcing her to caress his torso right up to his shoulders. "Slowly," he reminded her sinfully. She circled him so that she could effectively take off his coat. "Now fold it and put it on the chair. And don't forget...slowly."

Looking around the room she found that the only chair available was on the other side of it. _"What is he trying to do to me?"_ she thought. _"Make me combust?"_ After Lizzie had done what she was told, Red then said, "Very good, Samantha...very good. Now come back and take off my vest. Then you're going to take off my tie and put both of them on top of my coat." _"Jesus... Hail Mary... I'm going to orgasm from his voice alone."_ Lizzie thought frantically, feeling her temperature rise and her nether regions quiver. Taking a deep breath, Lizzie turned around, only to stop... frozen like a deer caught in the headlights. The expression on Red's face and the look in his eyes were ravenous to say the least. "Come now, Sweetheart... I'm waiting," Red beckoned her with a husky voice full of dark promise."After you're done you're going to sit on the bed." He informed her quietly while she unbuttoned his vest. Lizzie was having trouble breathing and, somewhere between taking off Red's vest and his tie, she had started to tremble slightly with arousal. Her mind was drawing a blank and each slow step she took sent a bolt to her now wet center. By the time she had managed to sit herself on the bed she felt that her skin was flushed and tight. And all of this with nothing but his voice.

"Very good. You have been a very good girl. Now sit back... that's right..." Red praised as Lizzie did as he said. "Good... now hold still." Saying this, Red slipped his hand under Lizzie's knees, making her gasp. Red stopped what he was doing and looked up at her. She really didn't know which was worse... Red touching her or Red looking at her with that heated gaze. "Remember to breathe, Sweetheart," was all he said before resuming what he was doing. With his hands under her knees, Red separated her legs only enough to comfortably sit between them. He then stood up straight again and un tucked his shirt, all the while looking down at Lizzie intently. Lizzie could only look back up at him. _"Ressler... hurry up... or I won't want you to…"_ she thought fervently, breathing a little harder. Red then sat quite snugly between Lizzie's legs, to the point that his rear end came into direct contact with her apex, sending yet another delicious bolt to her already heated center. Slightly turning back, Red then found and pulled at the black sash around her chest. Lizzie tried to get it back, but she only succeeded in opening her legs wider, giving Red more than enough space to lay back fully into her, and also letting her robe fall open so that her bare breasts came into contact with Red's back.

Looking over Red's shoulder, she saw that Red had placed the sash on top of his groin, meaning that if she wanted it back, she would have to reach down to his Crown Jewels. Somehow that seemed like a REALLY dangerous thing to do... not just to Red, but to any man in this position. She also couldn't help but notice his large bulge. _Well... he looks like a big boy. _Was her inappropriate thought that caused her breath to hitch. "Is there something wrong, my dear?" Red asked as he settled in, causing agonizingly pleasant friction on her already sensitive nipples. _Of course he felt my breath hitch...bet he can feel my nipples and the heat radiating from my..._ Lizzie's thoughts were cut short by Red picking up her left leg and placing it over his left arm and tucking her stilettoed foot snugly near his also-heated groin. "Now, my dear, let me see your hands." Lizzie pulled out her hands and put them in front of him, still distracted by the placement of her leg. "Good... now I want you to unbuckle my belt and undo the top button of my pants." The vibrations of his voice traveled through Lizzie's heated and sensitive body, making her tremble even more with arousal. "Once that is done you are then going to unbutton my shirt from top to bottom."

_"Oh my God...Ressler, HURRY UP!"_ Lizzie pleaded, barely holding on to the last shards of her sanity. Red had started to caress her captive leg, and to make matters worse, Lizzie had looked up and caught sight of their reflection in the mirror. Not only was the whole scene erotically debauched, but Red was looking right at them.


	6. Chapter 5

**Hello... yes I am back... fancy that. Sorry I took so long but Rl got in the way (don'y you just hate it when that happens?)**

**Any way Thank you for not dumping me and To all my beautiful followers, reviewers and those who Favorited me and my story: THANK YOU. I'd like to give a big hug to my Betas jadenanne7 and jackandsamforever, with out which you'd all be experiencing BAD READING... it's not even funny, these woman are saints. LOVE YOUZZZZ**

**THIS CHAPTER IS RATED M. CONSIDER YOUR SELF WARNED!**

* * *

Seeing Lizzie's deer-caught-in-the-headlight expression in the mirror only fueled Red's predatory nature. All he wanted to do was ravage this magnificent creature...make her his, make her beg, make her cry in ecstasy, make her pay for the stress and pain she put him through during his waking hours and the sexual torment she put him through during his sleeping hours. Red wished for nothing more than to show her passion and love and everything she deserved...but now was not the time. Opening his mouth to say something that would break the trance they found themselves in, he was interrupted by the shrilling noise of the telephone ringing. Lizzie's startled jump amused him, and her murderous look toward the phone made his eyebrow arch. _"My, my... Is my Lizzie enjoying herself to the point of NOT wanting to be interrupted? Maybe I won't have to wait too long after all..."_ Filing her reaction away for later and having a rather interesting idea, Red raised his right hand and caressed Lizzie's face, turning it once more to the mirror. Looking at her, he simply said,"Samantha, my dear, I'm afraid you're going to have to answer that... It's one of those unavoidable phone calls..."

He watched Lizzie look at the phone and attempt to reach it, but it was too far away. She would either have to get up and fetch it from her right, or crawl over him and stretch a bit from her left. To her credit, Lizzie did try to get up, but Red was having none of it. Grabbing Lizzie's captive leg with a bit more force, he lifted it so that her knee reached his mouth. Kissing it adoringly he started to pull her over him. This movement made her supple breasts skim his back. The scarred tissue had stayed extremely sensitive and the effect was even more erotic for him than it would be for her. He felt her hold her breath and heard her gasp. He once more found himself wanting nothing more than to take her in his arms. _"Oh how I wish to_ _adore you,"_ he thought fervently. As he guided her over him he wondered how she was going to proceed. Straddle him an give him a clear view of her glorious chest? Or lay down on top of him, thus grinding his erection and flattening her supple breasts on his chest? Either way, Red won. But then he always did... at least in these matters anyway. It all depended on how far gone she was and how bold she felt. But in all honesty, as wanton as Red felt, he really did desire the intimacy of her proximity.

For all of his sexual prowess, Red felt lonely. Yes, he wanted Lizzie's body and soul but in the recesses of his mind when the night was dark and silent Red knew that he needed Lizzie to feel the same for him as he felt for her. Her initial profile of him was correct. He did need her... but not for the reasons that she thought.

Lizzie had opted for lying on top of him, her breath shallow and hitched. It became ragged when Red gently and slowly skimmed his hand up the leg he still held captive and rested it on her left butt cheek and pressed down, forcing her to come into contact with his heated bulge.

Closing her eyes firmly, Lizzie stretched herself as much as she could without rubbing herself on him and just managed to grab the still shrilling telephone. _"If only you knew the power you have over me,"_ Red thought tenderly as he admired her beautiful face. It occurred to him that before the night was out what remained of his heart could be completely shattered... all that was needed was a clear rejection from Lizzie. _"But that's not going to happen is it? You came back. I was set to leave but you came back... to me... These last two months I have proven that you at the very least desire me and do feel SOMETHING... don't you my dear? I can see it, NOW... feel it... And you never were one to give yourself over freely to a man. It was one of the many things Sam loved about you. You need to FEEL something even if to have sex…"_ Red felt his control slipping by the minute. Tightening his leash even more, Red breathed in deeply and ordered in a tight gravelly voice, "Hold the phone to my ear." Lizzie obeyed the order and sagged fully on him, running out of strength to keep the small space between them and without managing to contain a little whimper. Tucking her body to his and making himself comfortable, he spoke into the mouth piece, "There better be a very good reason for this interruption, Wajeeh..."

"Yes, there is. I'm sorry to interrupt, but the information you ask of me isn't as straightforward as we had hoped. It seems as though this gentleman is paranoid. I only have a PO box number. I could get one of my more talented employees to get a name and address if you wish."

"My dear boy this is starting to sound like a cloak and dagger noir, and, although I do appreciate the genre, I really find myself without much patience for it," was Red's dry reply. It was only now that he noticed that his hands had decided to mutiny against his mind and were now quite happily caressing and rubbing Lizzie's body... skin on skin. They had, at some point, found their way under the lace robe. Lizzie was doing her best not to wither under his ministrations and this displeased Red to no end, so he decided to let his hands run free all over her back, bottom, hips and legs. He was so concentrated on watching Lizzie's reaction that he had lost half of what that petulant child was saying. At least he caught the last and most important part.

"...It will take a bit, but she is very talented. I just wanted to inform you of this so that you wouldn't think I was trying to pull something..."

"Hummm... In that case thank you for keeping me informed, but Wajeeh, please DON'T interrupt me unless it's life or death, yes?"

Red heard Wajeeh's soft laughter as he replied, "Of course. Once again I apologize for interrupting."

And with that, the line went dead, not that Red noticed any of that... Lizzie had chosen that moment to give up on any self control she had OR she simply didn't have any more left and started to slightly undulate her hips against his now raging erection. Grabbing her hips with both hands, Red thrusted once and gained a surprised gasp from Lizzie, who let the phone fall from her hands and hugged his shoulders and neck as closely and tightly as she could. Red thrust upwards a couple of more times before turning round and landing fully on top of her, latching his lips onto her collar bone. "Raymond...slow down. It's too soon... not yet..."

_"She's not ready,"_ his reasonable side chanted to him. But alas, Red paid it no mind. Lizzie's nails were threatening to tear the fabric of Red's shirt while he dry humped her vigorously. Lizzie wrapped her long legs around Red's waist while he tightened his grip on her hips. Just when Red was about to lose all control over himself and unleash the dark beast within him, the phone rang for a second time. Stopping what he was doing, he furiously looked for the infuriating device. Finding it, he all but roared in to it.

"WHAT?"

"IT'S THE F.B.I.! THEY'RE RAIDING THE CLUB! GET OUT. GET OUT NOW! I'VE SENT SOME GUARDS TO GET YOU AND YOUR BODYGUARD! GET OUT!" And with that, the frantic Wajeeh hung up. Red felt like he had been doused by a bucket of ice cold water. _"Yes, Raymond...the F.B.I... Remember THEM! Look at her... how is it going to look when they get here and find her like this?"_ Looking down at Lizzie's flushed and debauched face, it hit him that Ressler and all the others would probably make assumptions. And while they might be completely true, the FBI didn't need to know that. Lizzie thought that her job was the only thing she had left in this world, and having her professional reputation ruined would destroy her. _"I need to get her out of this place before they get here."_

"Wait right here for me, alright?" he told her gently, kissing her forehead. The simple fact that Lizzie didn't react just showed Red how far out of it with arousal she really was. Adjusting his crown jewels, Red made his way to the chair, unbuttoned the top two buttons his collar, rolled up his sleeves, and put on his vest. He put the black sash and his tie in one of his pockets, grabbed his coat, and went back to the bed. Gently grabbing her shoulders, Red put Lizzie in a seated position, careful to hide from the mirror. She reached out for him but he held her hands securely in his and said:

"My dear, the F.B.I. is here... Do you understand?" Noting Lizzie's confused expression, he repeated himself once more before recognition settled in on her face. When she looked at up at him he saw the sheer terror on her face while she started to hyperventilate. "Here, put on my coat. We are leaving this place," he said out loud as he dressed her in it and added in a whisper that only she could hear, "I won't let them see you like this, Lizzie. Hurry." Just as he finished saying this there was knock on the door.

" ! Please hurry up! We must leave immediately."

* * *

Lizzie didn't know what or how she felt. All she knew was that she was on fire. There was a dark thrill under her skin, and all she wanted was for Red to let go of that tight control he held over himself. She wondered where he had gone to and was about to get up and go to him when he reappeared half dressed, more or less composed, and with his coat on his arm. _Wait… where is, he going… He can't leave…_ She thought in a daze.

He sat down and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her down next to him. She reached out to touch him, but he held her hands in his and said something to her, but it went unnoticed; all she could do was stare at his swollen lips and wonder what it would be like to have him kiss her lower…way lower. She did, on the other hand, hear what Red was saying the second time round: "My dear, the F.B.I. is here… Do you understand?" Her muddled brain tried to make sense of what he was saying, and after a second, reality sunk in. Now she knew how she felt. Horrified, and she knew what she felt...Shame…in large doses, but she was still on fire.

She still burned for the man in front of her, and that was what terrified her the most. All she wanted was to pull him to her and kiss him. And never let go. And say to Hell with the consequences. She started to hyperventilate as Red helped her into his jacket as he said: "Here, put on my coat. We're leaving this place," he said out loud, but added in a whisper that only she could hear, "I won't let them see you like this, Lizzie. Hurry."

She heard someone banging violently on the door and looked back at Red. He finished buttoning up his coat and went to open the door. Speaking quietly with whoever was on the other side, he closed the door and walked back to her rapidly. The problem was that when she stood up her legs failed her. Her thighs where weak, due to the pounding for the lack of a better word, that they received. This brought up a fresh wave of embarrassment that only escalated when Red caught her before she could fall onto the floor. Raising her eyes to his, she trembled slightly when she saw his heated gaze.

Whatever she was feeling, she somehow knew that Red was feeling it too. Lizzie now had no doubt in her mind that if Ressler hadn't moved in when he did, she would have been in for one hell of a ride. _"And you would have loved it…" _That pesky voice said. She tried to say something, but before she could, Red said very quietly, "I'm sorry sweetheart, but this is the only way to do this without raising suspicion." She felt a small sting in her neck. When she looked at Red's hand, she saw him emptying out the contents of a small syringe. "I only gave you half the dose. I'll explain later." She felt dizzy and held on to Red's vest. He pulled her to him and gently kissed her neck, licking it slightly. He then picked her up and started to walk toward the door. After that, all she could do was feel his hands, see dancing lights and hear sounds; though she could always distinguish _his _voice, especially if he was whispering to her. She felt the cold, brisk air and snuggled closer to Red's body. She heard voices and then slipped into a semi-unconscious state as Red tightened his hold on her.

* * *

As Red walked down the corridor with Lizzie in his arms, he felt a mix of emotions. First, he hated the idea of having to drug Lizzie, even if he only gave her half the dose to make it all the more believable, he still hated it. He enjoyed having a responsive Lizzie, he thought to himself as he smirked. And how responsive she was. He also felt male pride in her inability to stand or walk due to some very interesting circumstances. He only wished he could have furthered said circumstances, and lastly, feeling her in his arms so vulnerable and lost fueled his possessive streak tenfold.

He had gotten a taste of Sam's little girl, the same little girl who he once saved and now wanted more, demanded more. _"Oh my dear the things I plan on doing with you…"_ He also felt somewhat depraved. This was in essence, his best friend's _Daughter_. But Red admitted to himself that he had always had a lascivious streak that he had always indulged in, even with his dear sweet Carla. He adored her with his entire being, and he fully enjoyed their love making. He remembered their honeymoon fondly. With these thoughts in mind, he finally reached Wajeeh's office.

"Mr. Reddington, here is the flash drive with the information you asked for and here's the flash drive with the footage from the room. Don't worry about the F.B.I, my technicians are flawless; they wiped the drives and burned them as well. Now you must go, they're in the stairwell as we speak. Through here," The young man said in an urgent whisper. Red only looked at Wajeeh and nodded. "Follow this guard, he will take you through the secret stairwell to the outside.

Red heard footsteps behind him and turned. Dembe had finally reached him and he too was carrying his… _charge_ in his arms. Both men followed the guard silently up to the outer world. The chilling air bit at his skin and Lizzie curled into him. His only reaction was tightening his grip on her. They needed to leave this place, and fast. He was already thinking of the possibility of going to one of his safe houses nearby to wait for the drugs clear out of her system and hopefully continue what they had started; that fantasy was short lived unfortunately. Just as he was going to put Lizzie in the car, he heard a voice behind him.

"As I live and breathe… I thought it was you."

Red looked up and right in front of him was Gan Rén, in the Flesh.

Gan Rén was one of Red's many providers when it came to secrets. They had been associates for many years, and even though Red was reserved about some of the man's habits and views, they still had managed to become somewhat friendly. But in the past couple of years, Rén had started dealing in human trafficking; and that was one of the worst things one could do in his eyes, so that's how he went from "friend", to a number on Red's list. _"So THAT'S how the Raval's have been supplied the last few years…"_

"Gan, my friend, I haven't seen you for years. Where's that delightful wife of yours?"

"Ruolan is back home busying herself with our grandchildren. Is the lovely creature in your arms one of mine?" Red bristled internally. _"Knowing you, you have her holed up in some property of yours, more like…" _

"I'm not sure, they might both be, and they are both quite exquisite, just like your excellent taste. You seem to be without your usual company. Are you in need of any assistance?" Red's mind was in overdrive, there was something wrong. Rén was never without his men.

"Yes, they must have disappeared throughout the complex, I'm sure they're fine, but I'd rather not be caught by the F.B.I, so I'll accept your offer," the tall Chinese man replied pleasantly, and promptly circled the car and entered it. _"There's definitely something wrong."_ Red entered the car as well and Kept Lizzie in his lap. Dembe had put Savannah in the front seat next to him.

They drove for some time before Rén turned toward Red and said, "I'm afraid that my son-in-law has decided it's time to retire me. I, of course would never do anything to hurt my daughter but something must be done about him before he takes my business from me." Red listened to his tale with caution. Things like this were reoccurring in this type of business, and it would be easier to deal with Rén down the road if he helped the man stop his son-in-law.

* * *

Lizzie surfaced from her slumber for a couple of minutes and heard mumbling. Red was talking to someone. Still feeling chilly, she adjusted herself more comfortably in Red's lap. _"Wai… Wha… why am I in his lap… hummm still hard,"_ she thought before being swallowed in darkness once more.

* * *

Rén witnessed Lizzie's actions with some mild amusement. "You always did have a way with woman. What do you plan on doing with her?" He asked, eyeing Lizzie's body. Red bristled even more.

"I'm going to keep her," Red answered truthfully. The irony didn't escape him.

"Good choice, I always thought you needed someone permanent to play with. She's magnificent."

"Yes, yes she is." Red genuinely agreed with Rén for the first time that evening.

They arrived to the opulent safe house some hours later. Rén excused himself to take care of private business while Red and Dembe deposited their treasures in a more comfortable environment, refreshed themselves, and packed some necessities. They would be leaving for china as soon as Red's jet was ready. In other words, within two hours. Having their bags ready for the plane, both men took the time to arrange for their guest's awakening the next day.

Red placed Lizzie on the bed and unbuttoned his coat. He knew from checking in on her during the last two months that Lizzie was a restless sleeper, or at least had become one. He took the time to tenderly admire her figure. He felt his stomach tighten with longing. Yes he did feel a primitive sexual pull toward Lizzie ,but there was something more; something he hadn't felt in a very long while. He found himself in love with her. But this wasn't the same kind of love that he had shared with his wife, no, this was a more consuming love… a possessive love… He knew he was in trouble when he first laid eyes on her. Luli had told him as much.

Lizzie sighed deeply and smiled in her sleep. Red couldn't help himself as he laid down next to her and pulled her body towards him. She went easily and snuggled sweetly to him. Breathing in the smell of her hair, Red closed his eyes as the longing came back once more. In the darkness, Red lowered his shields and gently kissed her neck. She murmured something, lost in her dream; she intertwined their legs together and kissed his jaw briefly. With that small gesture of sweetness, Red fell apart. It wasn't an outward display. If anyone had been looking in, all they would have seen was Red breathing in suddenly and holding his breath for the moment, then closing his watery eyes as he let his breath go. He held on tightly to Lizzie's form and started to pepper the side of her face and neck with light kisses while his hands gently roamed the firm planes of her body.

He knew that he was nothing short of an animal. The destruction that he had caused over the years had proved to him what he had always suspected growing up; he wasn't a good person. He was aware of the fact that he would taint Lizzie, and still he couldn't bring himself to stop. He was too selfish to do such a thing. All of his selfless acts had been wasted; no, not wasted, _used_ to try and keep Lizzie safe.

He had walked away from her. He had let her go as she stood before him and shook her head in silent denial. He would have left and dealt with his own demons. He would have left and died in some dark corner of the world, which was what he deserved. But she had come back. At first he thought that he had been dreaming, but no, _She. Had. Come. Back._ To him, for him. He didn't know why, but she had come on her own free will; she had returned. And he had no intention of letting her go ever again.

Kissing her more intensely, his breathing started to speed up. The prospect of losing Lizzie was slowly driving him in to a panic. Lizzie had surfaced from her drug induced sleep and hugged him weakly. He buried his head in the nook of her shoulder and tightened his hold even further. The more the idea of losing his beautiful Lizzie the more he spiraled into the darkness that threatened to engulf him on his worst nights. He was bad for her. Even though he saved her and gave her to Sam, nothing had stopped him from claiming her, desiring her and indulging in said desire. He would never let her go, even if she wanted to leave he wouldn't let her. Couldn't. He found himself in the disastrous position of no longer being able to live without her. He didn't have the strength to let her go now that he had had a taste of her lips, her flesh.

Then a terrible thought entered his desperate mind. What if this had proven to be too much? What if what had happened earlier in the evening had been too daunting for her and she ran, ran away and never came back. What if when he came back, he wouldn't find her here? What if he was unable to find her ever again? If she left him, the pain he would feel, would not only be emotional but physical as well. He was fiscally hurting, now. His hold on her tightened even more. "Don't leave me… please never leave me… Lizzie… Please…" He desperately whispered in her ear. Lizzie looked at him sleepily, kissed a single tear that had gathered in his eye, and smiled sweetly before closing her eyes. Red gently kissed her lips, to which she lazily responded before drifting off once more.

It was a reluctant Red that got up and left Nevada that night. He only hoped that the letter he had left her would be enough for his greatest fears not to come true.


	7. Chapter 6

Happy Easter EVERYONE (That celebrates it)! Sorry for the vanishing act. RL has been... Something... But I is here and I give you a new chapter. :D

A Shout out to ALL my Reviewers and a Thank you VERY much to all that have Favorited and followed me thus far. I love you ALL.

Special Thanks to to my Darling Beta. And as always: I. OWN. NOTHING...

Enjoy.

P.S. This is a filler chapter so no Red/Lizzie action. (Sorry)

* * *

Lizzie was lying in the middle of the bathroom floor, finding herself two steps away from throwing a tantrum. What about was the crux of her particular problem. She didn't know if she was about to engage in a spectacular show of a hissy fit because of how she had acted or better yet, how she had reacted to Red the night before or -and this she found to her great dismay- the fact that the man himself wasn't there in bed with her when she woke up. So, on the verge of a fit, Lizzie collapsed in a heap onto the bathroom floor, covering her face, trying to decipher what was going through her mind and heart. Little did she know that somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, the man consuming her thoughts was equally consumed by his desire for her.

* * *

2 hours earlier

Lizzie woke up to a beam of sunlight hitting her face. It wasn't harsh, so it was either still very early in the morning or the curtains were filtering the light. Lizzie stayed suspended in between worlds, fluttering in and out of consciousness for a few moments longer before a thought made her frown…

The safe house didn't get any morning sunlight from this angle.

That's when everything came rushing back to her. The mission, the auction, and the…Lizzie opened her eyes wide, now fully awake. _"Oh my God… What. Have. I. Done? What did I start?"_ she thought, frozen in place. She stayed stock still, taking in her environment. She quickly came to the conclusion that she was alone in the room. She slowly got up, looking around her, taking in the beautiful room she was in. _"Where are we?"_ She stood up slowly, checking her balance and noticed that she still had Red's jacket on. Closing it around herself, she ventured out of the room with extreme caution.

_"__Time to face the music I guess,"_ she thought to herself, resigned.

The house she found herself in was not only magnificent, but also big. After searching the entirety of the place and finding only one other occupant, _"Thank God she's safe,"_ Lizzie made her way to the room she had woken up in and entered the suite bathroom, somewhat disappointed, and decided to have a shower. She was feeling confused and restless. _"I'll just take a nice long shower to clear my head; I'm still drugged… that's it. I'm still drugged… why would I be disappointed that Red isn't here? It's good that he's not here. That way I don't have to talk about last night, because obviously Red would want to talk about it and he would come to the wrong conclusion and then I would have to set him straight and he would just be him and then we would argue over it so it's a good thing that he isn't here because I don't want to talk about it I mean HOW DARE he just leave… what, like I don't deserve an explanation either? I wasn't the only one there… He was there too, all touchy feely and hard and big… Thank God he's not here, even if he is the most sexy man I have ever met and God would I have loved to finish what we star..."_ Lizzie caught herself then… She turned off the water, wrapped herself in the available towel and stood, looking at her reflection.

On one side she felt ashamed for how she had reacted to the whole predicament, but on the other side she felt frustrated because Red wasn't there to pick things up where they left off and that made her feel even more ashamed and angry for how she had reacted. It was a never-ending circle of… of… something she couldn't quite understand. Letting out a frustrated growl, Lizzie collapsed onto the bathroom floor, covering her heated face with her hands and fighting valiantly against the tantrum she felt bubbling inside of her trying to get out. The fact that she didn't know WHY or WHAT she was feeling didn't help her at all. She started to silently cry at first, then her sobs grew. This was the second time she had cried because of this man and the effect he had on her. These were tears of anger because she was crying, tears of frustration because she didn't know WHY she was crying, but the final straw was when she started to laugh out of confusion. _"I'm going insane…. I have officially lost my mind,"_ she thought in the midst tears and hysterical laughter.

* * *

Meanwhile over the Pacific Ocean

Rén and Dembe were asleep as Red looked out his jet's window. He had tried to close his eyes for a bit, but every time he did he was plagued with visions of Lizzie. He felt his heart tighten and his breath became labored. Adjusting himself in his seat, he exhaled tiredly. It had been easier when she had been nothing but a fantasy, a dream. But now… now she was real. He knew what her lips tasted like. The feel of her skin. Yes… Red felt tired. Tired about many things… Berlin, The Alliance, Fitch, The Fulcrum, but above all...the loneliness rooted into his very soul. _"First Berlin…" he thought solemnly "…then… then we see… If she wants to stay we stay until the end of my list… if not… the hell with my list…"_ Having reached some sort of conclusion, Red lay back in his seat and closed his eyes if only to rest them… sleep wouldn't be coming any time soon. Thankfully, for when it did the torment would be unbearable.

Still laying on the floor after her minor meltdown, Lizzie pondered what she was going to do next. _"I should call Ressler…call Ressler and say… what? It's not like I can tell him what happened… Damn it… Of all the times to not be here…"_ Lizzie thought, letting out a giggle and a sob. _"I'm not even sure what happened after we left. He picked me up… carried me out… He met someone… I know that much… and then we came here and… … Did he ask me NOT to leave him!? But then that means that we kissed… and he cried? I… I don't know… But staying here isn't going to solve anything!"_ Getting up, cold from laying on the floor for too long and feeling nauseated, Lizzie made her way back to the room. She noticed something on the pillow next to hers. As she went near it she scoffed. "Really Red? A letter on a pillow?" she quietly said to herself bemused.

On a simple piece of paper in elegant and masculine handwriting in red ink, Lizzie found Red's apology and explanation for leaving. Before reading it, however, she noticed that it smelled like him. Pulling the paper to her face, she inhaled deeply and then began reading.

_Lizzie_

_Unfortunate circumstances have come up and I am unable to be with you when you wake up. It seems that an old associate and number on my list has found himself with some problems that will hinder his future demise should I not intervene at this time. I leave you with what is left of the drug that I had to inject you with so that you may give it to our darling Captain America… (She snorted humorously at that.) …and have something to compare it with for when they test you as they undoubtedly will. The reason I did inject you was because of the mirror. If you recall I told you they had the room under surveillance. Had I not done what I did, Wajeeh and his people would have found it strange or worse still, suspicious. I have told you once Lizzie, I will do everything I believe necessary to keep you safe. Even when I know you may not like it. For all that I apologize._

Lizzie stopped reading in a state of shock. She reread the last part just to be sure that she had read correctly. Did the Concierge of Crime…Raymond _"Red" Reddington...just APOLOGIZE?"_ Shaking her head, astonished, Lizzie kept reading.

_On the desk by the window you'll find the USB drive that Wajeeh supplied me with. It contains information about the location of someone who can lead us to the man I'm looking for. The one who will lead us to Berlin. Wajeeh was also kind enough as to give me the footage of what transpired in the room. _

Lizzie stopped reading once more, but this time out of embarrassment more than anything else as flashes of the night before rushed to her mind. Flushing for another reason than that of embarrassment, Lizzie took a deep much needed breath and continued.

_You don't need to worry about it falling into the wrong hands. Wajeeh assured me that no one could retrieve any of the footage. He truly does have the best working for him, some far more superior than Aram. I assure you that the record of all that happened will never see the light of day._

_"__Light of day sure… what about in the darkness of night? I wouldn't mind seeing it…"_ the pesky little voice supplied. "What? NO! SHHHHHHHHHHHH…" a horrified Lizzie answered to no one other than the voice in her head. _"No… I want to see how we are together… Bet Red has kept it to watch…"_ the voice pushed on. "Nooooo… stop it go awa…. I'm arguing with the voice in my head again…. God… what's wrong with me?" Shaking her head to clear it, Lizzie read the final part of Red's letter to her.

_As mentioned above, I ran into a certain gentleman that was once an associate of mine that unfortunately turned to human trafficking as to obtain some extra income. He was left under the impression that you and young Savanna were "one of his" shipments. Please be careful and do keep Savanna in one of my D.C safe houses until the task force_ _can bring this despicable man to justice. Tell Ressler about the auction and tell them that had we not taken you, you would undoubtedly been disposed of. I truly regret your deeper involvement in all this. I never wanted for you to end up in the middle of all that filth. I will try to be as brief as I can. Please burn this letter when you are done. Ressler and the rest will search this safe house from top to bottom and to have them find this letter would raise some very uncomfortable questions. I wish we could have discussed all this in person. Perhaps we may still._

_Red_

And that, as they say, was the end of that… She did consider for a moment keeping the letter just to have proof of Red's apology, but then thought better of it. So before waking Savanna up and calling the team, Lizzie burned the letter, but not before giving its scent one final inhale.

The next week was spent in the safe house under a form of house arrest. Personal time to get whatever was in her system washed out, they called it. Lizzie knew better… whatever higher up that ass in the cheap suite that put Red behind bars last time was, was afraid she was corrupt and would flee the country with Red... And then there was that whole investigation because of her husband… Savanna was kept at a F.B.I safe house. She had been questioned and both had been debriefed. They both came out clean with no lasting effects, but they both had to see an appointed therapist once a week. Oddly, Ressler had gotten her out of that one.

"Look, she doesn't need to see a shrink. She's an agent and she knows the risks of the job. I agree that she should get a phsyc eval but that's just about all. With or without Red we're still F.B.I agents and our task force is running low on numbers as it is. You send her home and you might as well close up shop and send the rest of us home."

Cooper had been fast to agree, and sensing a mutiny on their hands Mr. Cheap Suit and Diana Fowler 2.0 were forced to relent. They still had her heavily guarded, though.

Her phsyc eval came out. She barely passed it. At least she had had the foresight of saying she was having difficulty sleeping and was starting to doubt her capacity as a profiler. She also threw in that she was having trouble trusting those around her. Maybe that would give the Dynamic Duo something to chew on… It meant that she didn't trust Red, but she no longer trusted the system. A dangerous gamble. But they needed her to get Red, and if all went well they would spend the foreseeable future reassuring her that the system still worked… giving her some space. Thankfully the doc inaccurately assumed that her lack of sleep was stress related, on account of everything that had happened over the last year… _"Has it been a year? It's has… Christ."_ she realized, astonished. So much had happened… changed… No wonder she thought she was losing it.

"Agent Keen, it's perfectly natural to lose faith in your profiling abilities. You have just found out that the man you married was the enemy. This unease you feel around those you work with is because when you came to them with your suspicions about this man that you built your life with, that you considered building a family with, was declared clean by members of this team who, in turn, kept on suspecting you of foul play, only to have him reveal himself as the proverbial bad guy...the man you loved and still do, at some level at least, fooled you for two years. As a woman you feel betrayed and used and as a professional you feel like you have been made a fool. You now see shadows where there aren't any. I'm going to prescribe some sleeping pills and a week's rest to get you back to form. I'll perform another evaluation next month. You will be functioning on a probationary function. No field work. Just your regular nine to five desk job until then."

So, with a prescription in hand, Lizzie left for the following week. Halfway through the week, Lizzie noted that the security had been dialed down considerably, and later that day Ressler had called informing her that Mr. Cheap Suit had inquired about her health and wished her a fast recovery, stating that every single member of the task force was a valued member. When Ressler asked her if she knew what was going on she just said that maybe Red had gotten to him… Ressler had laughed at that and hung up. Lizzie smiled to herself. The gamble had paid off after all. Her smile quickly fell when she realized what a "Red" move that had been. _"That son of a bitch is rubbing off on me…"_ were her last thoughts before letting herself be submerged the latest episode of Mob Wives.

* * *

Shanghai – Hidden Blossom Tea Room

Red currently lay face down, surrounded by Dembe, Rén, his son in law Dao, the boy's brother Tai, and finally an old uncle that wasn't really an uncle simply known as Bao-Zhi, though Red had some serious suspicions that that wasn't the man's name to begin with, on a massage table, desperately trying to keep his imagination in check. Dembe, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying himself profoundly.

When Rén showed up at their luxurious home with Red in tow, Dao had been set on edge, something that Red was expecting to rapidly defuse. Sensing that discretion and time would be the better way to deal with this problem, Red lamented the time he knew he was going to lose… time that he would much rather spend with Lizzie.

In the middle of their comings and goings, Bao-Zhi suggested that the men should go to a tea house and discuss business.

"As honored as we are for Mr. Reddington's visit, it is highly doubtful that a man such as he would come here for nothing but a friendly visit while passing by."

"My dear Bao-Zhi, your perception is outstanding. You are quite correct in your assumption. You must understand though that I do not wish to have my business discussed in a public place. There's no knowing who could be listening in. Why don't we go somewhere more private and secluded and then go to this surely magnificent tea house you mentioned. And please, call me Raymond. Whenever someone calls me Mr. Reddington I get the urge to turn around and look for my father."

"You are a very cautioned and wise man, Raymond. First we go to the tea house to eat drink and relax… then we may go discuss business somewhere secluded." Red had smiled at that and agreed. Much like the Taihe Tea Room near Dongfang Road, it combined tea drinking, tea set and other things...selling, dining, and massages. By ordering a pot of tea, you could enjoy various snacks for free. In addition, tea art and other types of performances such as traditional dancing and live music were played there. The difference was that the people massaging the patrons of the tea room were all young men and women dressed in tiny Kimonos. The sushi was served on naked bodies and everything was all very sensual, something that Red did not need at the moment. He was starting to see Lizzie everywhere. He was once a man in complete control of his mind and body and still was in all things, but not Lizzie, it seemed. Breathing in deeply, Red simply followed the group in, followed by a snickering Dembe.

The young lady appointed to him was a truly adorable looking creature, dressed in a blue, sexualized three piece Mandarin gown, but his body and mind still yearned for it to be his personal temptress. _"Perhaps someday soon… I still don't know what to do about the scars… Lizzie is too bright not to put two and two together…"_ Red decided to leave that to when the day came and started to relax in to the masseuse's ministrations.

* * *

D.C – Post Office

Lizzie was bored… Bored beyond all else. The information provided by Wajeeh was proving to be worth less than its trouble. Aram was at his wits end Ressler was acting… strange… always on edge for no reason, mood swings, secretive, the works. Cooper was looking tired and preoccupied with something and everybody else just seemed to function. They had their job. Ressler got out chasing bad guys and Lizzie stayed there… filling out paperwork, helping out in the profiling and data analyses, but she was still grounded. At first she had been worried about Red… then angry, then frustrated, back to worried… she was now angry at him because of his disappearing act. Three weeks with zero on his whereabouts. Not a word, a message, NOTHING. At least the last time he went underground he had called… this time it was a letter…the strangest night in her life and a letter. She was angry and she was bored. At least she was four days away from her next phsyc evaluation. God she hoped she could get away from this desk.

Aram burst in the hub, frantic.

"There's been a Red sighting in Shangai…" He started pulling up all sorts of images onto the screen. The images were blurry, but they could still make out three men running… One of them was Dembe… there was no mistaking the tall, athletic beauty of the ebony colored man. The other was Asian and then there was one that looked eerily familiar to Red. There was really nothing strange with the picture except for the picture itself… "Are they naked?" an incredulous Cooper asked… Lizzie just started laughing hysterically.

* * *

Somewhere in China

Of course they got drunk… What had initially started off as a treat of drinking the wonderfully rich and fragrant but rare Anji bai cha also known as Anji white tea… which, considering that it was actually a Green tea, privately tickled Red's humor, and a large variety of sweet, sour, and spicy Dim Sum quickly took a turn to more spirited drinks. Not wanting to offend or disrespect Bao-Zhi so that his true mission wouldn't be suspected, he and Dembe where "forced" to indulge. Even though they didn't overdo it, the sting of the traditional Baijiu made them slightly light headed. The initial sweetness was then overtaken by its vicious spicy bite. In addition, Tai switched to the more commercialized Er Guo Tou flavored with walnuts and Ginseng that just made it all worse. Red's head was already buzzing and Dembe was starting to look a little cross eyed…and of course like it always happened when alcohol was involved… Dao and Rén got in to it… He still wasn't very clear where the guns came from (they were all in nothing but their towels and Dembe had checked that room when they arrived) but the result was eight dead, Tai wounded, and a very naked Bao-Zhi, Red and Dembe wrapped in nothing but their towels running in broad daylight in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the Shanghai streets. By the time it was all said and don, Rén had decided that they retire to a family property. Refusing to tell even Red where they were headed, the three still naked men were shipped off with an unconscious Dao to places unknown.

* * *

D.C – F.B.I Phyc department

Lizzie was… content. She was cleared for duty and after what she was now calling the Naked Running Incident, Aram had managed a breakthrough. It wasn't what they had hoped it to be, but it was still better than nothing. They would have to go to Chicago and she would have to go under cover again, but this time she would be overseeing her cover story and she would be working with Aram. Maybe Red would be back by the time they had to move out to Chicago… With that decided it was a very content Lizzie that left the F.B.I headquarters and drove off to the Post Office.


	8. Chapter 7

**Ohhh hello... What is this? TWO chapters in the same month? Why Yes... yes in is. I GIVE YOU THE MUMMY BUNNY! This Chapter is dedicated to A friend. She's been waiting for this chapter since chapter three... :D **

**Shout out to my WONDERFUL BETAS! Love you loads... And an even bigger shout out TO ALL MY READERS, REVIEWERS and FOLLOWERS... I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH I HURTS. And this is still a filler chapter so no Red/Lizzie action... though Red does go and gets him self all meddled up in Lizzie's Business... **

**PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! **

* * *

China… Somewhere…

"You're having entirely too much fun with this situation," Red said, looking sideways at his friend feeling…sour. Dembe, on the other hand, was grinning widely.

"My brother… I must be honest. As much as these last few months of easy living have been invigorating, I have missed these spontaneous adventures of ours."

Noting the younger man's joviality amused Red slightly. Still, he couldn't help but feel a little resentful about his current situation. Things had, once again, escalated while they were on Rén's secluded property, but this time in between Bao-Zhi and Dao -the boy really did have a manner to him- Red was again at a loss about WHERE had the guns come from. They were in a thermal bath with nothing but their charming personalities… Looking sideways at his companion, he squinted… "Dembe wouldn't put us in actual danger just to have some, albeit questionable, fun…" His thoughts where interrupted when something wet hit his face. Looking up through the foliage confirmed his suspicions… it had started to rain. For the second time in two weeks Red had not only been in two shoot outs, but he had also found himself unclothed in some obscure corner right after it. It wasn't even a question of age. No... it was that he would much rather be naked in the rain with Lizzie. _"Ohhh best not delve in to those ideas… Being excited in the middle of the Chinese wilderness isn't the best place for such things."_ Now… if instead of Dembe it were Lizzie…

* * *

Post Office Monday

Aram was sitting in front of his work station, patiently listening to Ressler's and Lizzie's bickering. It had been going on for an hour. He had a feeling that this argument would start up the minute Ressler decided to get Lizzie's cover story for the op.

"No… just no… It's not that I don't trust…. You know what I don't trust, Ressler? I don't trust you! I don't trust your common sense or tact… the last time… the ONLY time you were responsible for my cover I ended up drugged and up for AUCTION… Luckily Reddington "bought"… and I use the word luckily loosely… I already live with the bastard, why not owe him my safety and life… AGAIN?! "

Ressler looked at Lizzie, speechless. Breathing in, Lizzie made amends. "Look, I know it's not your fault. It's not like you could have known what would happen… I'm just… I went through two pshyc evals… Had to check in with the doc twice in the last two weeks AFTER being cleared for duty… Meera… And Reddington and then my husband that doesn't exist and, and… I'm just…"

"Exhausted…" was Aram's quiet reply. "We all just want to go home… to our houses… I miss my place," he continued sympathetically.

"Yea… I know we're all struggling," Ressler added evasively, looking away from them. Lizzie and Aram exchanged quick glances in between each other and then looked back to Ressler, who had failed to remake eye contact. _"Strange… very strange…" _Lizzie thought to herself… _"I need to get Aram alone… there's something that doesn't add up…" _

"You know what? I have an idea. Aram comes with us… Like Reddington would say: field trip. That way if we need to change anything there's no lag… and we can get individual rooms if we find a nice three star hotel. What do you say?" Lizzie asked.

"I say yes… I would love to," Aram happily answered. Ressler was looking a little unsure, but seemed to change his mind in an instant. "That's a great plan Keen… good thinking. Aram… hook us up. If you're coming with us you can finish the cover on the flight to Chicago, right?"

"Ye-yes… As long as the story is simple and plausible I can have everything we need done in three hours… the flight is a little over two and we still have another week or two depending on… Something female oriented, I guess… before everything needs to be set so… so yea…" Aram answered confidently.

"Female oriented?" asked Lizzie with a particularly sour look.

"I don't know. It's what she says. Sometimes she pushes back or pushes up the Gala date and claims it's female oriented stuff; this time she warned everyone that she has to push the Gala a week or two. I don't know…" was Aram's anxious response.

"Fine…" Ressler said with one nod. "Now what do we know about this Serbian guy and his girlfriend, Miss Desiree Montgomery?"

"Nothing much. He is one Vukasin Uzelac, born on September 30th, 1955, in Naissus. Russian mother and Serbian father. Olga Pavlov and Miljan Uzelac were both killed in a robbery...mother's older brother Matve Pavlov took him to Russia when he was three. At eighteen he joined the Russian Army and then at twenty-eight he joined the Spetsnaz, and after that...nothing. He uses a bank account in the Caman Islands with Miss Montgomery's name to get paid and needs a series of codes and passwords -voice activated- to get access to it. She's pretty low key… Born in Montana on October the 7th 1960… Dropped off the face of existence in 1977 and reappeared in Chicago January 15th, 2010. Other than the bank account that Uzelac uses with her name she only has the one PO Box, and is known to be the host of the First Companion's Club Annual Get Together. Very private...has a 75.00$ admission fee to get in. All proceeds go toward a fund destined to help spouses that were screwed over by their companions," Aram informed them readily.

"So it's like a first wive's club. Yea, sure... I'll fit in just fine," Lizzie remarked bitterly.

"I don't want to be an ass, but this has to be said. First off, you need to get some REALLY cheap seats and accommodations if we're going to use 75.00$ of tax payer's money to get into this thing, and second of all… Keen… do you even have something that fancy to wear?" Ressler added, flinching a bit.

Thinking for a bit, Lizzie mentally went through all of her clothes, then remembering that wedding she went to when Tom wasn't even in the picture, she nodded slowly. "Yea I do. Not Gala worthy, but its nice enough. I was one of the bridesmaids at a friend's wedding. Big deal of a wedding too… the dress cost my father 1500$. I was nearly broke at the time…"

"Good… so we don't have to worry about that. Hey… think we could charge the admission fee to Red?" Ressler asked with some humor.

"You know… that's the best idea I've heard in a long time," Lizzie answered with a mean smile. "It'll serve him right too… Asshole," she though mutinously.

* * *

Chicago Illinois Two weeks later

Donald Ressler looked around the Standard King at The Blake Hotel.

"And this is a three star hotel?" he asked Aram skeptically.

"Yep. And I got a deal too since there's three of us, it's the middle of the week, and we're only staying for two nights. I didn't even have to use our credentials. Which is good because of you know… what happened before…?" Aram answered with a cautious smile.

"And exactly how much is this going to cost the Bureau? All of this?" asked Lizzie cautiously. If their credentials weren't used the chances of a refund might be slim to none if the cost was too high… not to mention the 75.00$ they needed to use to get in.

"That's the beauty of it. I spent the whole night online Monday night, so I got really cheap seats on the plane…"

"Is that why we just spent the last two hours on a commercial airline in economy near the toilet?" asked Ressler, looking nonplussed.

"Yes… I was getting to that…" Aram answered, composed. "As I was saying, that's the beauty of all this. Our tickets cost 433$, rounded up, and that gave me the ability to spend a bit more on the rooms. But like I said, I got a deal. Nice isn't it? We each get our own room, two nights, 1260$. Sweet deal… even if we did get the short end because there were only two standards left so Lizzie gets the corner king," was Aram's content reply.

"Well in that case…get out of my room. We still have some time before the op," Ressler said, amused. Lizzie went to her room, shaking her head with a smile as Aram practically skipped to his.

Opening the travel bag, she took out two dresses. She still didn't know which one she was going to take. Both had bittersweet memories attached to them. The long, flowing, a-line, olive green chiffon dress with a loose V neck had been bought for her friend's wedding. She had made the brave choice to go alone and had been intimidated. The groomsmen's jabs had been made in fun, but the older women had been cruel. But still, she put on her bitch face and glided through the whole affair. It wasn't about her that day. It was about Marcy, but it had shaken her. She was afraid she wasn't normal, afraid she was broken. Still looking at the dress, she wondered if that was the moment Tom decided to move. Their first encounter had been random… too random... And she had fallen for it. Now she wondered if the reason she fell for everything was because she was so intent on proving she was normal and just like everyone else. She missed all the signs. Marcy, still in the post wedding glow, had said it had been fate. She laughed then… and was still laughing now, albeit with more bitterness. She had lost touch with Marcy. Now that she thought about it, really thought about it, she hadn't lost touch with her friends when she started working. It had begun shortly after her and Tom got together. Slowly, one at the time, Tom had alienated her from all her friends until her only friends where his. All of her friends had been Tom's friends… how didn't she see what he was doing?

The second dress was an act of rebellion… Four months before her life plunged in to chaos, she had caught Tom looking at a beautiful redhead dressed in a sexy little black dress. Looking at her top and jeans she felt shabby… She had jokingly said that if she wanted to, she could be a vixen too. Tom had laughed and called her silly. He had also kissed her and told her that she was perfect just like she was. Feeling stung and with a bruised ego, she had decided to teach him a lesson. Doing some creative accounting, she had managed to buy the black, knee length matte – satin and crepe tuxedo style dress with a slightly loose plunging neck line two days before Reddington had came in to her life. She never got the chance to wear it. She lost the reason why… no… she had never had the reason in the first place…

_"__I'll just try both out and see which one I feel more comfortable in,"_ she thought to herself pragmatically.

She had just finished putting on the green dress when someone knocked at the door. Drawing her gun, she looked through the peephole and saw nothing. Going back to her phone, she quickly texted Ressler and awaited an answer.

_At the door. At the count of three._

Reading the text, she positioned herself by the door, counted to three, and opened it, simultaneously pointing her gun at the passageway. Ressler was in the corridor, aiming his weapon at Lizzie's door. There was no one there. Looking up and down the corridor and stepping out of her room, she looked at her partner and shrugged.

"Nice dress, Keen," Ressler told her as he went back into his room.

Walking back in to hers, she looked at her reflection in the long mirror next to the door and couldn't help but agree. It was a nice dress. But…

_"… __you're a winter; not an autumn… Olive is not your color."_ His voice floated in to her mind. She closed her eyes and shivered. Seven weeks… seven long weeks of nothing. The last time he vanished it had only been five weeks and he had called before he disappeared. And they hadn't almost given in to whatever it was they had. "Maybe I'll just wear the black one instead." Eyeing the bathroom behind her, Lizzie smiled a bit. It had been a long time since she indulged in a relaxing bath. Not that she couldn't at the safe house. It was just she didn't feel at ease… alone… "I'll just relax for a bit and decide what to wear after."

* * *

His plans had been delayed. After that disastrous visit to China that had ended with Bao-Zhi shooting Dao point blank in the head, he was forced to deal with some other problems that had arisen in Moscow. He then was called to broker a deal in Koro Toro, Chad in central Africa, and finally to finish a ongoing deal started five years prior in Brownsweg, Suriname at the northern part of South America. He had found out that Lizzie was on her way to Chicago when he himself was halfway to D.C. Telling the pilot to change course, he sat back and thought about what he was going to do and say. As desperate as Red was to hold Lizzie in his arms, he was at a loss as how to do it. Lizzie wasn't just an itch that he wanted to scratch… Lizzie, his Lizzie, was something so much more. He needed to see her. Making sure he knew where she was going to stay, Red looked into one of his contacts to find out the floor and room she was in. He then ordered his on site team to place a small camera in front of her door, knock at it, and then leave. By the time he landed in Chicago he was in possession of the photographs the camera had taken. There she was… gun in hand and a scowl on her face… She was wearing a beautiful dress with a very pleasing neckline, but the color… "Lizzie…" he said fondly. "What did I tell you about the olive?" Grabbing his phone once more, Red called a dear friend of his and arranged for a special gift to be delivered to Lizzie. Whatever Aram had found on the Serbian and this mystery woman of his, it was no doubt the same or less than what Red knew right now.

* * *

Lizzie had just finished doing her hair and was still wondering about what to wear. Putting on the black dress, she looked at herself and still felt odd… "Maybe it's the hair…" she thought. She had pulled up her hair in to a messy bun. Putting on the green dress made her look a bit better, but… it was olive green. _"Why the hell do I care what Red said…. It's a dress, this is an op, and he's not HERE! The hell with all of this…."_ She had been feeling angsty the past two weeks… She felt herself on the verge of tears in the most inappropriate hours and just felt like collapsing onto the floor and never get up again. She was afraid to analyze the why for all this. She didn't want to admit that the reason why she was feeling like this existed. Wiping away a stray tear, she jumped when the doorbell chimed. Grabbing her gun yet again, she went to the door and looked through the peep hole. On the other side stood a bellhop with a large box in his arms. He rang the doorbell once more.

"Delivery for a Miss Scott," was all the boy said.

"Who's it from?" she asked warily.

"From a Mr. Zumar, Miss," he answered. _"Dembe?"_ Lizzie questioned herself outrageously. _"How the fu… know what? Never mind, Liz… just never mind,"_ she thought to herself while she cautiously opened the door and let the boy in. After depositing the box, the boy turned to Lizzie and said, "No need to worry about the tip, Miss. Mr. Zumar took care of it already."

"Thank you. Did Mr. Zumar deliver this package himself?" Lizzie asked politely.

"No, Miss. It came by a private delivery service," he answered and then promptly left.

Lizzie stared at the box for a while not knowing what to do. Should she call Ressler? Aram? Open it and see? If it came from Dembe it could only mean that it was from Red. Wanting to avoid uncomfortable questions, Lizzie decided to call her partner. But first, she carefully opened the box just in case there was a note or letter in there for her. There was. A note containing only one sentence.

_I recall telling you once that you were a winter and not an autumn; maybe this will be better suited for tonight. _

Smiling slightly, Lizzie hid the note and called Ressler.

"What is it Keen?" was Ressler's short reply.

"Red sent me a package," was her explanation. Lizzie stared at her phone. Ressler had hung up and was knocking at her door shortly after. When she opened it she saw Aram there as well. The three of them looked at the box until Aram said, "Aren't you going to open it? I mean we won't get anywhere by just looking at it."

Looking at both men, she breathed in deeply and opened the box properly only to find a box that looked like it contained shoes and a small square jewelry case. Both sat neatly next to a dress that was wrapped in high end tissue paper. What they saw in there nearly made her heart stop.

"I'm not even going to bother asking how that son of a bitch knew you were here…" Ressler said matter of factly.

"What, no suspicious questions or accusations flying my way?" Lizzie answered, acidic.

"Five weeks ago yea… but now… the way you've been acting if you knew where he was you'd have shot him by now… or told us so that we could shoot him…" Ressler gave as an honest yet bland response.

"Well…" Aram said gently. "It does look like a nice dress."

The dress was… beautiful. Slowly taking it out, Lizzie and the boys got a better look at the dress. It was a light grey with slight silver undertones, strapless with a sweetheart A-line in chiffon with a delicate ruche empire bust line. The intricate silver beaded and embroidered midriff with an asymmetrically dropped waistline only added to the whimsical look the dress had with its full bias-cut gathered skirt. It was indeed lovely. The tag attached to it also identified it as a Cameron Blake.

"It's definitely better than mine that is for sure," Lizzie answered breathlessly. Putting the dress carefully down on her bed, she then opened the shoe box.

"Should I be worried that Reddington seems to not only know my dress size but my shoe size as well?" Lizzie asked to no one in particular. She was surprised when Aram answered her.

"He knows everything about you so why not that too? It's not like he's never denied his stalking tendencies."

There was a moment of contemplative silence before Ressler broke it.

"Why are the shoes darker?" he asked, puzzled.

"So that they can be better noticed," Aram informed contently. This drew two curious gazes toward him. "What? I've dated…" he sampled while blushing.

"Kaayyyy… how do I even know they won't hurt me?" Lizzie inquired.

"Now that, I can answer. Put them on. I'll be right back," Ressler quipped, leaving the room. Lizzie did as she was told and then looked at her feet. The vintage styled, dark platinum charmeuse peep-toe pumps had an asymmetrical placed bow in crystal that complimented the dress perfectly, shaping her long legs quite nicely. She was still admiring the shoes when Ressler came back with a vial of hand cream.

"My dad taught me this when I was a kid. He learned it in the army. Walk around a bit and tell me where it stings." Ressler informed them, sitting on the floor.

Once more, Lizzie did what she was told and walked around the room a bit. Oddly enough… nothing hurt.

"Hummm… I can walk just fine in these. Which is strange because my shoes usually give me hell when they're new," Lizzie said, astonished.

"Really?! Let me take a look at them," was Ressler's surprised reply.

Getting a shoe, Ressler looked at it closely. "Well that answers that question. Red put hand cream all around the inside of the shoe...like I was going to. It's an old military trick I suppose," he said, giving Lizzie the shoe back. Noticing Lizzie's look, Ressler added, "No one is saying you should put the dress on. Throw it out the window if you want. What you have is fine… but for 75.00$ an entrance fee… maybe you should at least consider it, ok?"

"That is a nice dress… but that one's nicer," Aram pointed towards the bed. "Besides… you're a winter and winters don't look good in olive… that's more of an autumn thing," Aram concluded. This had both agents looking at him, but for different reasons entirely. "What? I've dated…" Aram said defensively.

"Who, a fashion consultant?" Ressler asked, wide-eyed.

"If you must know… Yes. She was a fashion consultant and a model," Aram said proudly.

Closing her eyes, Lizzie started laughing to herself. "Well… if I'm a winter then who am I to argue? Now if you'll all excuse me, I have to get dressed," Lizzie supplied while shooing both men out.

When they left she looked at the dress as she sat down next it. Taking it in to her hands, she noticed that the quality of the dress was quite similar to the one she was wearing. Looking back, she started to wonder if Sam had really paid for her dress with some saved up money like he had said, or if it had been just a cover for Red's money… Shaking her head in revolt, she quietly said to herself, "You know… I think I'm beginning to hate that man." For once, her pesky little voice had nothing to say.

Making her way to the fifth floor of the Warldof Astoria, Lizzie smiled as she remembered Ressler's reaction to Red's latest "gift". An invitation to the Gala was in the jewelry case that he sent her. That -more than the crystal and silver jewelry set- had her eye open wide. Grabbing her phone she dialed Ressler's number.

"Yes, Keen?" was his short reply.

"Guess someone up in heaven is watching you… Red sent me an invitation to the Gala," she said, amused.

"Hold on…Aram… did you get the invitation? … … Don't bother, Red sent one. Yea… I know…Damn it… I was really looking forward to billing Red for this… Hurry up, Keen, it's almost time." With that, he hung up. Lizzie finished her makeup, put on the jewels, grabbed everything she needed, and left.

While she walked to the ballroom she thought about her cover. April Philips. Miss Philips had been her guidance counselor. A sweet woman, but firm. She had been the one to first suggest she burn her nervous energy in a more productive way. After some thought she went back and said the she would like to do something that wasn't exactly what any one would expect from her. Lizzie had always been a tomboy. A byproduct of being raised in a single parent home where the parent was an ex military man. So when she approached Miss Philips and told her that she would love to dance, she had felt a bit self-conscious. The woman had smiled and told her that in an effort to keep her out of trouble, she had assigned Lizzie to study hall. She then winked and said she would be expecting her after school.

Forlorn, Lizzie had left and after school she went to the study hall. When she got there, she was surprised to say the least. Some other teens her age were there as well… in dancing gear. Miss Philips was a dance instructor in her spare time.

"Well Lizzie… you said you wanted to dance…" she said kindly. After that, Lizzie started attending study hall. She still got into trouble… but not as much as she used to.

Smiling at the memory, Lizzie reached the ballroom door. Before she entered, she felt watched. Turning around she found no one. Still on edge, she walked into the room.

Once inside, Lizzie took a moment to admire the beautiful décor of the Sinclair Ballroom. The high ceilings where adorned by magnificent crystal chandeliers. The walls had gracious moldings and silk wallpaper. She was so lost in the beauty of the room that she failed to notice someone approaching her from behind.

"It is lovely, isn't it?"

Startled, Lizzie turned in alarm. _"Where do I know that voice from?"_ she thought to herself as she turned around quickly, only to stare at a six foot someone….

"Lizzie? Oh Sweetie, how have you been?" the voice gasped as she was enveloped in a strong hug. Looking up, it finally clicked.

Army Ranger MSG Master Sergeant Thomas Quinton Lloyd…

"Sergeant?" was Lizzie's incredulous reply.

"Shhhh…. It's Desiree Montgomery now…" said the six foot tall blond ebony WOMAN in front of her…

* * *

**Yes... Well... it only get more... interesting from here on end... :D **


End file.
